


you're my king (and i'm your lionheart)

by the_adequate_pretender



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Minor Character Death, Possessive Behavior, Prince!Finn, Protective Rey, Rey Skywalker, Royal Politics, Royal Protector!Rey, Secret Relationship, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-07 09:07:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7709161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_adequate_pretender/pseuds/the_adequate_pretender
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of Crown Prince of Narhadul Finn, his Royal Protector Rey and how their love affair began with kisses in the still of night and ended up causing a planetary uproar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Multichap Prince Finn fic!
> 
>  
> 
> An alternative look on the beginning of Prince Finn and Jedi/ Protector Rey's relationship and how it would have struggled if Finn's parents had not been so easily swayed into allowing their son to go against sacred tradition and pursue a romance with his royal protector, unknowingly unleashing a chain of events that end up affecting more than just Rey and Finn.
> 
> I also just wanted to write something a little angsty--sue me! But fear not, I have a happy ending in mind. :)

It was the dead of night, which meant the halls of the castle were practically empty and so quiet she could hear her blood rushing in her ears. Rey was thankful for both of these things, because she didn’t really want to explain why she was on her way to the Prince’s quarters at such an obscene hour and also, it gave her time to think. She needed to know exactly what she wanted to say to him before she went in there so she could be as to the point as possible. So when he looked at her with those soft, kind eyes and confused pout, she wouldn’t get distracted and forget what she came there for.

With one last peek around her, she typed the passcode into the holo pad of his door. It whizzed open and she was greeted with a blanket of darkness with and tendrils of light from the moon slipping through a few cracks in the curtains, the light from the hall illuminating a path to his bed.

‘Rey?’ Finn’s sleep filled voice called out. She pressed a button beside the door, allowing it to slide shut.

Rey bit her lip and after a moment she responded in the most professional voice she could muster. ‘Your Highness, I know it’s rather late and for that I apologize, however I was hoping we could speak for a moment. I promise to make it brief.’

She watched the outline of his body shift in his bed as he sat up. He reached over to the night stand and turned on a small light, allowing a portion of the room to become visible. Rey almost wished he hadn’t done that, because now she could see him and that made it hard for her not to notice his lack of shirt or the strikingly erotic way the blankets pooled around his hips. Rey often wondered how this man managed to make even the act of sitting look so enticing, but she supposed she should expect as much from someone so mesmerizing and easily adored by anyone who spends more than a few seconds with him.

‘What’s wrong?’ He asked. With her hands clasped behind her back she slowly made her way towards him until she stood at his bedside. Finn frowned. ‘Aren’t you going to sit down?’

‘No, I think it would be best if I stood,’ She swallowed. ‘Your Highness—,’

‘Why do you keep calling me that? We’re in private.’

‘Because, you are a Prince and I am your guard—,’

‘ _And_?’

‘That’s the nature of our relationship. Nothing more, nothing less.’ Rey said.

Finn blinked.

Rey sighed, ‘I believe that you and I may have blurred the lines of our professional working relationship over the past few months and I think we need to set things straight.’

Realization washed over Finn’s features and then he smirked at her—he kriffing _smirked_ at her. And while it should have annoyed her it only made a fluttering feeling course through her stomach. ‘Your Highness, I’m serious. The touching, the looks, the comments—we have to stop.’

He frowned again and allowed his gaze to drop to where his fingers were fidgeting with a loose thread on his blanket. ‘You just want to act like…like we don’t feel something for each other?’

‘Not only is it completely inappropriate but it goes against a very important tradition in your family,’ Rey bit her lip. After a moment, she shook her head and replied. ‘I was hired to protect you. That’s all. So let me do my job.’

He looked at her, eyes narrowed. ‘You weren’t able to do it before?’ He accused.

‘I—,’

 ‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware that you and I secretly holding hands sometimes or kissing your cheek at night was throwing badass Jedi, Rey Skywalker off her game.’ Finn grumbled.

‘Well it is!’ She argued defensively. Breaking her composure, she settled on the edge of the bed with her back towards him, staring off into one of the dark corners of the room. ‘I wouldn’t expect you to understand how you make me feel sometimes, because I don’t even understand it.’

There was a shift in weight on the bed, and the next moment, Finn was sitting beside her.

‘Rey, I feel the same way—,’

‘I’ve been trained to suppress encumbering emotions. I’m supposed to think logically and focus on the overall goal—ensuring your safety. But recently, I’ve never felt more emotionally compromised,’ She looked at him and reached her hand up to cup his face, her thumb running along his bottom lip. ‘Look at you,’ She marvelled. ‘You know sometimes I’ll walk into the room and forget why I even came in there just because you smiled at me? Or I heard you laugh?’

He grinned. ‘That’s not very Jedi-like,’

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. ‘No it isn’t, is it?’

‘My fault, I guess.’ He shrugged.

‘You don’t sound sorry at all,’

‘I’m really not,’ He mumbled. ‘Not even a little.’

She didn’t know who was more surprised when she leaned in and kissed him, regardless it took absolutely no time for Finn to respond enthusiastically, sliding his hands around her waist and pulling her against his bare chest. She allowed him to deepen it, granting his tongue permission into her mouth. Her hands found their way to the base of his skull, holding him there as they practically devoured each other. Rey was willing to admit that there was a generous amount of sexual tension built between them over the last few months and it was spilling over in that moment, that was the only reason she could think of as to why she was climbing into his lap and pressing him down against the bed.

‘Rey,’ Finn groaned as her lips latched onto the skin just beneath his jaw. It was only then  that she pulled back and looked down at him as he grinned up at her, panting happily. In the same moment, the realization of what a horrible lapse in judgement she had just experienced hit her hard like she’d gone ten rounds with a wampa.

She was off him in seconds and scrambling towards the door.

‘Rey!’ He shouted after her, hopping off the bed. She halted at the door but did not turn to face him. ‘You’re just going to leave? Just like that?’

She swallowed hard, turning her head slightly so that she could vaguely make out his form in her peripherals. ‘I’m sorry Your Highness, permission to be excused?’

He was silent for what felt like minutes to Rey. ‘Granted.’

Rey didn’t think she had ever heard him sound so…hurt.

She slammed her hand on the button and was slipping out the door long before it had a chance to open properly and set off briskly down the corridor. She could feel Finn’s eyes on her, and it took everything in her not to look back.


	2. Chapter 2

‘I truly hope that you have a good reason for waking me up at this ungodly hour, Miss Skywalker…’ Hymll—head of the Protection Command— muttered as he settled behind his desk, folded his hands neatly atop it and glared at her. It would be dawn in a little over an hour. After she had left Finn’s quarters she ended up taking a walk around the grounds to clear her head, which seemed to work because she had finally come up with a reasonable solution to deal with her _Finn_ problem.

‘I do sir,’ Rey began, clasping her hands behind her back as she stood respectfully and unmoving in front of her superior.  ‘I’d like to request a leave of absence,’

Hymll, narrowed his eyes. ‘Are you joking?’

‘No sir,’

‘You are under strict contract and are not permitted to take a holiday for another several months, request denied.’ Hymll said, and went to move from behind his desk.

‘Sir, I’m not requesting a holiday. I’m requesting a personal leave of absence.’ Rey explained.

‘Is there a family emergency?’

‘No,’

Hymll pinched the bridge of his nose and released a heavy sigh. ‘Then what is it, Miss Skywalker?’

Rey took a deep breath and thought for a moment, knowing she would have to choose her words very carefully. ‘Over the last few weeks, I’ve become…unfocused.’

Hymll’s forehead creased. ‘How so?’

Rey moistened her bottom lip. ‘I’ve felt a little out of tune with the Force,’ It wasn’t a lie, she hadn’t felt entirely in sync with the Force for a while now, but Hymll didn’t need to know the true reason why…that her feelings for Finn had become so powerful they required a great deal of mental and emotional effort to be ignored. ‘…and I just feel that with this nagging issue, I may not be able to protect the Prince to the best of my ability.’

Hymll nodded slowly, putting the pieces together in his head. She had pulled the _Jedi_ card – an advantage she had over others around here considering she was the only Jedi amongst the guard at the moment. ‘Right…okay, and you feel as though this leave of absence will help you…er…get back in tune with the _Force_?’  

‘Yes sir,’

Reluctantly, Hymll reached into his desk for his data pad. ‘How long do you think you would need?’

‘Three weeks would be ideal, and I could be back before Their Majesties head off planet at the end of the month.’

Hymll paused and glanced up from the data pad. ‘Who would take over your duties during that time?’

‘Well, I’m sure if I spoke to Astrid or Erik they would be honoured to watch the Prince in my absence,’

‘Fine,’ He sighed. ‘But you realize by me granting you this absence, you’re relinquishing your holiday time scheduled for later this year?’

‘I understand sir,’ Rey nodded.

‘Then your absence is granted. I’ll speak to Erik tomorrow at the briefing about taking over for you,’

‘Actually,’ The young Jedi cleared her throat. ‘I was hoping I could leave around this time tomorrow morning? I could even speak to Erik for you if you’d like me to?’

Hymll set the pad aside, never taking his eyes off Rey. ‘Are you alright, Miss Skywalker?’

Rey swallowed. ‘Of course, sir. Why do you ask?’

‘You’re just…very anxious to leave. Are you sure there’s nothing else going on?’

‘Not at all, sir.’ She lied. ‘I don’t want to be away from His Highness for too long. The quicker I go, the quicker I can come back here and resume my duties.’

Hymll stared at her for a moment longer, studying her face. Finally, he seemed to accept her answer and nodded. ‘Very well, I’ll speak to Erik in a few hours.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘You’re welcome,’ He replied as he stood. ‘Now, may I return to my quarters or do you have anything else that must be discussed before dawn?’

‘No sir,’

‘Dismissed,’

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

She had to stifle several yawns on her way to escort Finn to breakfast, and by the time Rey had arrived in front of his bedroom door, she could feel her eyes struggling to stay open. ‘Your Highness?’ Rey called as she slipped into the room and nodded politely to the servant that was collecting the Prince’s clothes for the wash. Finn emerged from the refresher a few moments later, dressed for the day.

‘Good morning, Lady Rey,’ Finn smiled, gently.

 Rey felt her stomach flutter and she cleared her throat. ‘Good morning,’

Their gazes remained locked on one another until the servant interrupted them to quickly bow to Finn before taking her leave. Finn thanked her before turning his attention back to Rey. ‘So…’

‘Come along Your Highness, we don’t want to keep your mother and father waiting,’ Rey interrupted, knowing full well where this conversation was headed and that this was not at all the time to have it.

‘What if I’m not hungry?’ He challenged, halting her mid step as they made their way down the corridor. She released an audible sigh and turned to him.

‘Do you plan on being this difficult all morning?’ Rey asked.

He shrugged.

‘ _Your Highness_ —,’

‘Can we please just talk?’ Finn pleaded.

‘Now?’

‘Yes,’ He insisted. ‘Rey, I don’t like how we left off yesterday.’

She shushed him quickly. ‘I know,’ she replied, guilt settling into her stomach. ‘…I’m sorry that I…’ she noticed a few members of the guard come around the corner and she paused. They smiled politely at Rey and Finn as they walked past. ‘Can we please talk about this later?’

‘We can,’ Finn nodded. ‘…but are we actually going to talk or are you just going to run off again?’ There was a teasing tone in his voice but Rey could tell he was serious. 

‘I’m not going to run off again,’ She replied. He was searching her eyes for something. ‘May we go now, Your Highness?’

‘Lead the way,’

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Throughout the entire day, Rey could tell Finn was itching to speak to her. At dinner he had paid little mind to the conversation his mother and father were having, instead focusing much of his attention on Rey through quick glances as she stood in her place against the wall at the end of the room. And though her eyes remained trained on the wall ahead of her, it took a lot for her not to catch his gaze every time he looked in her direction.

‘Finn?’ Queen Serra asked.

The Prince looked at her. ‘Yes mother?’

‘You’re not eating?’

Both Rey and Finn glanced down at his plate that was virtually untouched.

‘Is there something troubling you, son?’ Udo questioned.

Rey’s eyes caught Finn’s for just a moment before she quickly looked away.

‘No…I’m just…I guess I’m not hungry tonight,’ Finn shrugged.

‘Are you sick?’

‘Uh…yeah,’ Finn answered, clearly lying. ‘I haven’t felt right since last night,’

‘Oh dear,’ His mother frowned. ‘Perhaps you should visit the med bay?’

Finn replied. ‘I think that would be best,’

‘Lady Rey, would you escort my son to the med bay?’

Rey nodded. ‘Of course Your Majesty,’ She quickly bowed before walking over to the dining room doors and waiting for Finn to meet her.

The doors closed behind them and once Finn was sure the hall was empty he immediately took Rey’s hand. ‘Finn-,’

‘Come on,’ He insisted. And for reasons unknown to her Rey let Finn lead her a short way down the hall before they stopped in front of a storage unit.

‘What are we doing?’

‘Talking,’ Finn nodded toward the storage unit and pulled the door open.

‘Here?’

‘Yeah, it’s private isn’t it? Unless you want to travel all the way to the other end of the castle just to chat in my bedroom?’ Finn suggested, clearly at ease with either idea. Reluctantly, Rey slipped inside, Finn following her as he shut the door behind them and flicked the light above their heads on. The unit wasn’t large by any means, it left just enough room for Finn and Rey to stand at least a foot apart.

‘If you want to talk, we should do it now before people start looking for us.’ Rey urged. It was a ridiculous statement and judging by the smirk Finn had given her –he was smirking a lot these days—he thought it to be just as ridiculous. Nobody would come looking for Finn and Rey as the entire kingdom had grown used to the unusually close relationship the Prince seemed to have with his Royal Protector. If the two had gone missing together for even a few hours Rey doubted anyone would bat an eye.

‘Okay,’ Finn chuckled. ‘Well, first things first…I’ve never had any of my royal protectors _run away_ from me before, so thank you for that experience.’

Rey sighed. ‘Finn, I feel horrible about that but…’

‘But?’

‘But I didn’t know what else to do,’ She admitted.

‘You could have slapped me,’ He laughed, weakly. ‘I might have preferred that.’

Rey dropped her gaze. ‘I’m sorry,’ Thinking about it rationally, she could have handled that moment much better. ‘But everything I said about us having to keep our relationship professional…I meant that.’

‘I know,’ Finn huffed. ‘I thought about it all night. We’re not supposed to feel this way about one another but—,’

‘We **_can’t_** feel this way for one another Finn. It’s not something that’ll be swept under the rug, _kriff_ , when I…when I kissed you last night—,’

‘It was incredible, wasn’t it? You felt it too, didn’t you?’ He asked. He hadn’t realized he’d taken a step closer but Rey definitely had, she could feel his breath ticking her face. She swallowed hard, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

‘You know I did, Finn.’ She answered quietly.

She felt Finn’s hand come up to cradle her jaw, and she knew she should have stepped away in that moment but she couldn’t, not with the way he was looking at her coupled with the way his thumb was brushing across her cheek.

Rey felt dizzy. Her head was swimming, and it took everything in her not to lean forward and kiss that grin off of his lips. And in that same moment she knew her decision to leave tomorrow was justified. She needed to time to refocus and quell these feelings she had for Finn. But for now, they could stay like this, if only for a little while.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Narhadul’s sun had just barely breached the top of the trees when Rey had made her way out to the shipyard, a small knapsack slung over her shoulder. Both Hymll and Erik were waiting for her near a small starship that was being prepped for her departure.

‘Miss Skywalker,’ Hymll greeted. ‘You should be cleared for take off shortly,’

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘I expect to see you in exactly three weeks from today and not a moment later, am I understood?’ Hymll asked.

‘Yes, of course sir.’

‘Excellent. Erik has been briefed on his duties regarding the Prince, I expect he’ll do a fine job.’ Hymll nodded toward Erik, before turning his attention back to Rey. ‘Safe travels, Miss Skywalker…and, may the Force be with you.’

Hymll had began to leave and Erik waited patiently to be excused by Rey. ‘Erik?’

‘Yes ma’am?’

Rey’s eyes flicked from Erik’s to the castle, where they paused for a brief moment at Finn’s balcony that overlooked a large portion of the shipyard, and back again. ‘Take care of him,’

Erik nodded. ‘You have my word that His Highness will be protected and cared for at all costs, ma’am.’

‘Thank you. You should go now, he’ll be getting up soon,’ She sighed. ‘Dismissed.’

She boarded the ship not long after she had sent Erik away, and as the starship ascended into the air, Rey said a temporary goodbye to the planet she had called home for well over a year and made a promise that she would come back better than ever and ready to be the Protector her Prince needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I just started a new job, and I go back to college in a matter of days so things have been a little hectic! Leave some feedback if you can, if not no worries, Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> Also, Happy FinnreyFriday!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm incredibly disappointed with how long this took to come out, and for that I am deeply sorry. I got into a funk and then every time I attempted to update, nothing felt right. And this sort of feels right but it's probably not great but I like this story and I didn't want to see it abandoned.

_‘He is our miracle baby, you know…’ The voice of Queen Serra snapped Rey’s attention away from the finely painted portrait of “The Prince of Narhadul” Finn Numinian._

_‘I’m sorry, your Majesty?’ Rey said, as she watched the Queen reach out and brush her fingers across the painting of her son, who was pictured standing tall in the castle gardens dressed in violet robes and smiling proudly._

_‘Udo and I, we had been trying for a child ever since the day we were married. It was hard not to give up hope. Especially after the doctors told me that my body might not have the strength to carry children. Admittedly, there were times in which the doubt overwhelmed us, it was particularly hard after my fortieth birthday when the High Council urged Udo to officially name his younger brother as the heir since it was so apparent to them that I would not be producing one.’ Serra muttered._

_‘Couldn’t you adopt?’ Rey suggested._

_The Queen smiled. ‘We talked about it. But we knew that if we did, the child we chose could never qualify for the line of succession. Narhadul has been under Numinian family rule for centuries. The throne is passed only through blood relatives. Fathers to daughters, mothers to sons etcetera, etcetera… it is a strict tradition. In fact, if Udo’s mother had known that I would’ve had trouble producing an heir, I know I wouldn’t have been picked to rule by his side.’ She trailed off._

_‘So we gave it one last try, just to say we gave it our all. And then just over nine months later, I was holding my son in my arms. He was our miracle…Narhadul’s miracle.’ The Queen smiled fondly and then turned her attention to focus fully on Rey. ‘Which means his safety is of the utmost importance. More important than mine, more important than my husband’s,’ Serra nodded across the room where King Udo was currently chatting quietly with Rey’s father, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker._

_‘I understand completely, your Majesty,’ Rey nodded._

_‘Udo and I are taking a big risk allowing the Jedi to join the very guard that has been protecting this family without the support of Force users since the Numinians came to power so long ago. The High Council doesn't support our decision but…’_

_Rey blinked, waiting silently for her answer._

_‘…but he is my son. My only son. My miracle. He is a good, strong boy who will make a wonderful King someday very soon. But until then, he is a young man with a heart full of curiosity and adventure and we need someone who can ensure his safety and keep up with him. To stand by his side as his guardian, and we have it on good authority that the Skywalkers are the best, and that they can be trusted,’ The Queen explained. She reached her hand out and rested it on Rey’s shoulder. ‘So I’m trusting you, Rey Skywalker. I’m trusting you with my son’s life, with the life of the most important man on this planet.’_

_Rey was going to say that it was an honor to be given the chance to protect the heir of the Narhadul throne and that she looked forward to paving the way for more Jedi to be welcomed within the Royal Guard. She had even opened her mouth to say so…but then_ **he** _walked in._

_There were two members of the Royal Guard flanked on either side of him. He was dressed much more casually than in his portrait. And it was one thing to see him beam in the painting and something else entirely to see him smile in person. He had his father’s smile, but his mother’s eyes._

_He stopped to properly greet his father and Luke before he made his way over to Rey and Serra. ‘Mother,’ he grinned and pressed a kiss to each cheek. He eyes then flickered away and landed on Rey. ‘Hi,’_

_‘Hi,’ Rey smiled softly._

_‘I don’t believe we’ve met?’ He said._

_After a moment, Rey cleared her throat. ‘Forgive me, your Highness, I’m Rey. Rey Skywalker.’_

_‘Rey Skywalker,’ Finn repeated, testing the name on his tongue._

_‘Miss Skywalker is going to be announced as your Royal Protector, effective tomorrow morning.’ Serra explained._

_Finn’s eyebrows raised in mild surprise._

_‘I look forward to being of service to you, your Highness,’ Rey said._

_Finn nodded and smiled gently._

_‘I’m sure you two will get along famously.’ The Queen said. ‘Now Finn, how was your trip to Yavin 4?’_

_\----_

She regretted leaving the moment she took off.

Rey had hovered outside the planet’s atmosphere for just a few moments and had watched the light of the sun as it melted over the capital city of Tentahlii, where she was sure Finn had already awoken and begun his day, blissfully unaware of how Rey would not be the one to greet him that morning.

When the regret almost became too much to bear, she flew away; worried that she might fly back down there and tell Hymll that she could work through whatever personal issues she seemed to be having some other time.

But she knew that wasn’t an option.

Because with the way things seemed to be escalating with Finn, the way he didn’t seem to care how inappropriate it was that he wanted to hold her hand or kiss her cheek…that it would only be so long before Rey’s willpower was drained completely— kriff, she had practically devoured him the other night in his bedroom, so she assumed she didn’t have much to begin with when it came to him anyway. She had no doubt that if she had of stayed just a second longer in his room that night, they would have passed the point of no return.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about it before. She had thought about herself and Finn in many intimate situations together, and every time she would feel guilty when she had to remind herself that if those actions were to ever take place she would be committing a crime against the crown.

Finn’s purity would belong to his future spouse, who in accordance with centuries-old Narhadulian law, would be someone handpicked by Finn’s mother and father. That wasn’t something she had a problem with before but now, well, things were obviously quite different.

She needed to go away. She needed to be better for him. She could not have selfish thoughts about Finn. Because it wasn’t her feelings and her thoughts that were important here. She had to think about Udo and Serra and the whole of Narhadul because the future of that planet rested on _his_ shoulders and he rested on _hers_.

\-----

_It had rained almost all week and now the Prince was sick. Needless to say, Rey was a bit disappointed to have basically given up most of her childhood for Jedi training only to sit across from a bedridden Prince on a rainy day._

_She managed to keep her sighs inaudible for the most part as she stared out the window at the storm that was currently covering the city, having gone over the daily briefing on her datapad nearly four times already._

_‘You can take a break, you know,’ The Prince sniffled. ‘You’re probably bored to death,’_

_‘I’m fine, Your Highness’ Rey lied. She wasn’t bored to death…but she was pretty darn close._

_‘That sounded convincing,’ Finn chuckled and moved to sit up in his bed. ‘Go take a break,’_

_‘Your Highness, I’m alright-,’_

_‘Please stop calling me your Highness, I told you to call me Finn—in fact, I’m pretty sure I ordered you to,’ He said._

_Rey bit her lip. ‘Finn,’_

_‘Thank you,’_

_‘I’m fine,’ She assured. ‘I don’t need to take a break. I’m supposed to be watching you.’_

_‘How annoying is it to have to watch someone lie in bed, coughing and sneezing all day?’ Finn grinned._

_Unable to suppress the smile tugging at her lips, she replied. ‘About as annoying as getting asked about it,’_

_He chuckled and midway through it turned into a coughing fit. After that, a few moments went by with only the sound of raindrops splashing against the castle to fill the silence in the room._

_‘Come over here,’ Finn said._

_‘I’m sorry?’_

_Finn reached into this bedside table and pulled out a holoprojector. ‘Stop watching me and come watch this holovid.’_

_‘I don’t think that would be the best idea, your High—,’_

_Finn raised his brow._

_‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,_ Finn _,’ She said. ‘I can’t afford to get sick,’_

_‘Rey,’ He sighed. ‘Please grab a chair and bring it over here. I promise not to sneeze on you,’_

_She blinked, and after mulling it over for about half a minute, she decided that she would rather be watching a holovid for at least a few hours than watching rain batter against the windows all day._

_\-----_

Prince Finn had never been the type of young man that was quick to anger. But as he stood in front of Hymll, and watched the man attempt to explain Rey’s absence in the vaguest possible way…he quickly found his frustrations getting the better of him.

‘…and Lady Rey has chosen to…erm…take her scheduled holiday time earlier this year –which, she is entitled to –,’

‘I know that!’ Finn snapped, his voice raised.  The way Hymll swallowed and nervously looked away from him caused a wave of guilt to wash over the Prince. ‘I’m sorry,’

‘It’s alright, Your Highness. No harm done,’

‘Can you just tell me…why?’

‘Why Lady Rey has chosen to leave now?’

‘Yes,’

Hymll frowned. ‘Well, Lady Rey had expressed a feeling of inadequacy in her abilities to take care of you, so…she has taken the time clear her head, so to speak.’

‘So to speak…?’

‘Yes, Your Highness,’

Finn nodded, reluctantly. ‘Do you know when she’ll be back?’

‘Very soon. She’s expected back within a matter of weeks. She will return before your parents head off-planet at the end of the month. Until then, Erik has been given the honour of Royal Protector –,’

‘Thank you, Hymll.’ Finn turned and headed for the door. Erik went to open it for him but Finn stopped short and turned to the older Narhadulian.

‘Your Highness?’

‘Did she say where she was going?’

Hymll pursed his lips and looked from Erik to Finn. ‘No, Your Highness. I didn’t think it appropriate to ask. However, I could contact her starship and let her know that you’ve personally requested her whereabouts—,’

‘No,’ Finn shook his head. ‘It’s fine. Don’t do that. Leave her be.’

Hymll nodded.

Erik stood aside to allow Finn through the door. Finn stepped out into the corridor and prepared to head back towards his quarters.

‘Your Highness, shall I escort you to breakfast?’

Finn stopped and turned to him. The phrase was so foreign to him when not spoken by Rey, whose voice Finn enjoyed just a bit too much, and instead in the throaty tone of Erik.

‘I’m sorry?’

‘Your parents will be expecting you at breakfast, Your Highness. Perhaps we shouldn’t keep them waiting?’ Erik suggested.

‘Oh, right,’ Finn glanced down the hall once more. ‘Of course,’

Erik gave him a polite smile and started towards the dining hall, Finn followed grudgingly behind him.

\-----

Poe Dameron was summoned by The King and Queen’s Royal Advisor, Isla, by the end of the week.

‘He barely comes out of his room, he refuses to talk to almost anybody, he does not attend meals…,’ Isla listed off as she and Poe headed toward Finn’s room. Isla was at least half a foot taller than Poe, which made her strides much longer and Poe struggled to keep up with the woman.

‘What’s happened?’ Poe asked as he scurried around the corner after the woman.

‘We don’t know. However,’ They came to a stop in front of Finn’s door where Erik was frowning at the wall across from him. ‘…his behaviour is worrying the Queen, which worries the King and we can’t afford to have distracted and worried royals when we are weeks away from a peace treaty celebration with Qetania and their Majesties off-planet trip to celebrate their anniversary. Neither the High Council nor the public will like that.’

‘Um…alright. So what is it you need me to do?’ Poe asked.

Isla nodded to Erik, who turned and typed the passcode into Finn’s door panel.

‘Fix him,’ Isla said before she turned on her heel and proceeded down the hall. Erik returned to his post beside the door.

‘Mr. Dameron,’ He nodded.

Poe took a few cautious steps into the room. The heavy curtains were drawn, making the room itself nearly pitch black.

‘Finn?’ Poe called out. The door whizzed shut behind him.

‘Poe?’ He heard Finn say.

Poe’s eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness, and after a moment he could see Finn’s silhouette sitting in a chair across the room. He turned toward the windows and whipped the curtains open before turning back to face Finn, who was now squinting at him.

‘What’s going on, Finn?’ Poe asked.

‘They didn’t have to send you, Poe.’ Finn replied.

Poe scoffed. ‘Well, I guess they did, because my normally outgoing, smile to rival a thousand suns, best friend has suddenly isolated himself from his entire kingdom out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason.’ He replied and moved to stand in front of him. ‘So…let’s talk?’

‘It’s a long story,’

Poe turned and hopped onto Finn’s bed, making himself comfortable. ‘I’ve got time,’

\------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, kudos are absolutely welcomed but not expected. And for anybody who is still reading, Thank you!  
> *I will fix any glaring mistakes asap.

**Author's Note:**

> *Chapters will be longer!  
> *And sorry for any mistakes, I will fix any glaring ones later. I'm odd and can only seem to write when I'm absolutely exhausted. ;)
> 
> If you'd like, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


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